Hay Fever Consultation in Southend-on-Sea, Essex at JR Medical
Consultations and Treatments for Hay Fever
When "hay fever season" begins, you may begin to experience ongoing symptoms such as a runny nose, sore eyes and sneezing. You need to have clear information about any hay fever treatment that you receive, and this is available to you by booking a hay fever consultation with JR Medical to relieve the symptoms of hay fever.
A hay fever consultation may be useful to you for planning the way through hay fever season, by finding simple solutions to reduce the discomfort that you experience and make things more bearable. It is really important that you understand the hay fever treatments that are available to you during your hay fever consultation, so please discuss any questions with one of the doctors at the clinic.
What causes hay fever?
Hay fever is caused by your immune system reacting unnecessarily to pollen. Your immune system is such an important part of your body that it will preferentially use up a lot of your energy uselessly ‘fighting off’ pollens which it interprets as attacking you. This energy would be much better utilized elsewhere in life.
Trees can begin to produce pollen in late January and some grasses continue producing pollen until September so depending on what you’re allergic to, the season can be many months.
Between 10-15% of us suffer from hay fever symptoms. For many people, it causes significant fatigue and problems with concentration and alertness. Research has shown that people can do 5-10% worse in their exams during hay fever season compared with other times of the year.
Of that 10-15 % of people with hay fever, about 10% do not respond to conventional, easily available hay fever treatments like anti-histamine tablets, nasal sprays and eye drops.
Are there any alternative treatments for hay fever & seasonal allergies?
There's currently no cure for hay fever and you cannot prevent it. But there are some things that you can do to ease your symptoms when the pollen count is high, such as put Vaseline around your nostrils to trap pollen, wear wraparound sunglasses to stop pollen getting into your eyes, shower and change your clothes after you have been outside to wash pollen off, stay indoors whenever possible, keep windows and doors shut as much as possible, vacuum regularly and dust with a damp cloth and buy a pollen filter for the air vents in your car and a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter.
When is it most effective to commence hay fever treatment?
It is always more effective to commence treatment for hay fever about 2 weeks prior to the season starting. Many people have had their lives transformed by starting treatment early and continuing treatment regularly throughout the season. This is often difficult to commit to however and many of us only remember we need treatment after the season is well underway.
What are the non-medical treatments for hay fever?
- Stay indoors on high pollen count days.
- Reduce bare skin as much as possible - the allergy can be made worse by pollen on the skin – not just the nose, eyes & mouth.
- Have frequent showers to wash any pollen off the skin. Wash your eyes with baby shampoo morning and night.
- Irrigate your nose with saline pods which are available in packs of 25 in chemists and are very easy to use.
- Vaseline on nostrils.
- Remember that you need to alternate or change the antihistamines you take each season as your body would not respond to the same antihistamine for long.
Non-Prescription Medication for Hay Fever
Non-prescription medications which you should always try first:
There are a number of effective over-the-counter medications that should be explored.
- Antihistamines tablets such as Loratadine, Cetirizine and Acravastine.
- Eye Drops such as Sodium Cromoglycate.
- Nasal Sprays such as Beclometasone & Fluticasone.
Prescription Only Medication for Hay Fever
The treatment of hay fever using POM is purely dependent on a hay fever consultation with one of our doctors. As such, you can not be considered for these types of hay fever treatment without a prior assessment. This includes immunotherapy (desensitisation) treatments where slowly increasing doses can reduce your immune reactions. Every dose has to be monitored closely in case of an anaphylactic reaction and requires dedication and commitment as you need a dose every few weeks for at least 2 years if it is going to work at all.
If you have any questions regarding the procedure, risks, benefits, or alternative treatment, please ask your doctor. You will be asked to sign a consent form prior to receiving the hay fever treatment confirming you have read this document, are aware of the risks and are happy to proceed.
JR Medical is a clinic based in Southend-on-Sea, providing hay fever consultations in Essex, with over 25 years of professional experience in the cosmetic industry. All hay fever treatments are administered by an experienced professional and include a free follow-up consultation to review your treatment as part of our ethically responsible service.
Call JR Medical now on 01702 314497
All of our services cover the whole of Southend-on-Sea including Westcliff-on-sea, Leigh-on-Sea, Rochford, Hadleigh and Benfleet. We also cover a wider area of Essex, including Rayleigh, Basildon, Grays and Thurrock.
